Municipal Governments

CSD Attorneys at Law’s Municipal Governments practice group represents municipal governments, including cities, water/sewer districts, public utility districts, and conservation districts throughout Washington state. Our attorneys have over one hundred years of combined experience serving as general counsel for such agencies and are frequent speakers at municipal law seminars throughout the state.

Contact our Municipal Government attorneys for assistance with a wide variety of matters, including:

Governance by elected officials, their statutory authority, and the interface with appointed staff
Labor and employment
Land use, comprehensive plan issues, and annexation
Public works and purchasing
Interlocal agreements
Water law
Environmental remediation projects
Labor and employment
Land use and comprehensive planning
Public property acquisition and sales
Public Records Act and Open Public Meetings Act compliance
Municipal ethics
Risk management and loss prevention

Municipal Govenment Attorneys

Peter M. RuffattoPrincipal

Richard A. Davis IIIPrincipal

Seth A. WoolsonPrincipal

Matt T. PaxtonPrincipal

Shane P. BradyPrincipal

Tim SchermetzlerPrincipal

Allison M. BeardSenior Associate

Renee K. L. RasmussenAssociate

Jesslin E. OchoaAssociate

Brian SnureOf Counsel

April 2026 Knowing the Waters

Governments in Washington have the power to join together to conduct joint activities through interlocal agreements authorized in Chapter 39.34 RCW.

March 2026 Knowing the Waters

This month’s column discusses effective strategies for conducting commission meetings—a continuation of the theme from the last few columns, which have focused on topics of interest to newly elected commissioners.

February 2026 Knowing the Waters

This month’s column revisits a reoccurring conversation regarding a port commission’s delegation of authority resolution. Several newly elected commissioners recently began their terms, and many ports are in the process of reviewing, updating, and reauthorizing their delegation of powers resolutions (as was recommended in last month’s column).

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